Communications

This Merit Badge
is Required to earn the Eagle Scout Rank

Do ONE of the following:

For one day, keep a log in which you describe your communication
activities. Keep track of the time and different ways you spend
communicating, such as talking person-to-person, listening to your
teachers or the radio, watching television, reading books, and other
print media, and communicating online. Discuss with your counselor
what your log reveals about the importance of communication in your
life. Think of ways to improve your communications skills.

For three days, keep a journal of your listening experiences.
Identify one example of each of the following, and discuss with
your counselor when you have listened to:

Obtain information

A persuasive argument

Appreciate or enjoy something

Understand someone's feelings

In a small-group setting, meet with other scouts or with friends.
Have them share personal stories about significant events in their
lives that affected them in some way. Take note of how each scout
participates in the group discussion and how effective each one
is in telling his story. Report what you have learned to your counselor
about the differences you observed in effective communication.

List as many ways as you can think of to communicate with others
(face-to-face, by telephone, letter, e-mail, fax). For each type
of communication discuss with your counselor an instance when that
method might not be appropriate or effective.

Do ONE of the following:

Think of a creative way to describe yourself, using, for example,
a collage, short story or autobiography, drawing or series of photographs,
or a song or skit. Using the aid you created, make a presentation
to your counselor about yourself.

Choose a concept, product, or service in which you have great
confidence. Build a sales plan based on its good points. Try to
persuade the counselor to agree with, use, or buy your concept,
product or service. After your sales talk, discuss with your
counselor how persuasive you were.

Write a five-minute speech. Give it at a meeting of a group.

Interview someone you know fairly well, like, or respect because
of his or her position, talent, career or life experiences. Listen actively
to learn as much as you can about the person. Then prepare and deliver
to your counselor an introduction of the person as though this person
were to be a guest speaker, and include reasons why the audience would
want to hear this person speak. Show how you would call to invite
this person to speak.

Attend a public meeting (city council, school board, debate) approved
by your counselor where several points of view are given on a single
issue. Practice active listening skills and take careful notes of each
point of view. Present an objective report that includes all points
of view that were expressed, and share this with your counselor.

With your counselor's approval, develop a plan to teach a skill
or inform someone about something. Prepare teaching aids for your plan.
Carry out your plan. With your counselor, determine whether the person
has learned what you intended.

Do ONE of the following:

Write to the editor of a magazine or your local newspaper to
express your opinion or share information on any subject you choose.
Send your message by fax, email or regular mail.

Create a web page for your scout troop, school, or other organization.
Include at least one article and one photograph or illustration,
and one link to some other web page that would be helpful to someone
who visits the web page you have created. It is not necessary to
post your web page to the internet, but if you decide to do so,
you must first share it with your parents and counselor and get
their permission.

Use desktop publishing to produce a newsletter, brochure, flier
or other printed material for your scout troop, class at school,
or other group. Include at least one article and one photograph
or illustration.

Plan a troop court of honor or campfire program. Have the patrol
leaders' council approve it, then write the script and prepare the program.
Serve as master of ceremonies.

Learn about opportunities in the field of communication. Choose
one career in which you are interested and discuss with your counselor
the major responsibilities of that position and the qualifications,
education, and preparation it requires.

Materials found at U. S. Scouting Service
Project, Inc. Websites may be reproduced and used locally by Scouting
volunteers for training purposes consistent with the programs of the Boy
Scouts of America (BSA) [Links
to BSA Sites], the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) or
other Scouting and Guiding Organizations. No material found here may be
used or reproduced for electronic redistribution or for commercial or other
non-Scouting purposes without the express permission of the U. S. Scouting
Service Project, Inc. (USSSP) or other copyright holders. USSSP is not affiliated
with BSA or WOSM and does not speak on behalf of BSA or WOSM. Opinions expressed
on these web pages are those of the web authors. You can support this website
with in two ways:
Visit Our Trading Post at www.ScoutingBooks.com or make a donation by
clicking the button below.